9.06.2008
"Altars Must Be Freed From Gender Bias"
In India, the Madras High Court has ruled in favor of Pinniyakkal, the daughter of a temple priest, to inherit the duties of her father.
"Observing that "altars of God" must be freed from gender bias, the Madras High Court has directed that a woman priest, who is the only legal heir of her father, be allowed to perform pooja in a village temple where the presiding deity is Goddess Durga. Justice K Chandru of the Madurai Bench allowed a petition filed by Pinniyakkal, the only legal heir of the temple priest and rejected the plea of one of the respondents, a male cousin of the petitioner, that only he should perform 'pooja' on the grounds that only a male member can be a priest."
"The goddess becomes manifest over and over again to protect the world"
Justice K Chandru thought it strange that a someone would try to prevent a woman from performing pujas to Durga, the warrior form of the supreme goddess.
"It is ironical that when the presiding deity of the temple is a Goddess, objections are being raised against a woman in performing poojas in such temples."
No doubt that the goddess who came forth to defeat an enemy no male could overcome approves.
8.25.2008
Exporting Anti-Witch Hysteria?
There has been a debate within modern Paganism, specifically within the various Witchcraft and Wiccan traditions, over whether the issue of persecutions and killings of "witches" in places like Africa, India, and the Middle East is a "Pagan" issue. While some correctly note that these alleged "witches" are often not associated with any Pagan or pre-Christian religion, others, like Phyllis Curott, argue that we are bound by a common label.
"I don't think that Fawza was practicing anything resembling what most of us now call Wicca and Witchcraft. If she was doing anything, which is not clear, it may have been some kind of old traditional folk magic. It doesn't matter - she is sentenced to die by beheading for Witchcraft. That is the word many of us use to identify ourselves. That word means that she is a member of our community. And we are not a community if we don't take care of each other. We may not be able to save Fawza, but we must try."
This view has been echoed by modern Pagans in India and South Africa, who have seen an all-to-real connection between the persecution of "witches" and the rights and freedoms of modern Pagans living near them. But can the problems of "over there" impact those of us living in the West? Mary Leland, writing for the Irish Independent News, argues that the anti-witch fanaticisms of "over there" may be finding a new home among us.
"In this case it was the revelation that the guest speaker was a man representing a church in Dublin which advertised among its services a protection against witchcraft. The chat diverted into such issues as whether alternative therapies such as Reiki or yoga or hypnosis could be considered contrary to biblical strictures ... before occasionally hitting on the immediacy of superstition among, in this case, largely African congregations. Whatever else many of our African immigrants may have brought with them to Ireland, they have included a belief in witches, seen as an active threat to the well-being of families and communities ... Christianity may have outgrown that horrible idea by now, but not before exporting it, with evangelistic missionaries, to Africa. It's not easy either for a woman to listen to any debate about witches and witchcraft without remembering that it was women who were accused, tortured and executed in their thousands over several centuries."
Leaving aside issues of tensions over immigration and possible xenophobia, can immigrants from countries known to persecute so-called practitioners of "witchcraft" bring with them the hysteria that has destroyed so many lives? Some are saying it is already here, with suspicious deaths and child abuse linked with a fear of malicious magic and witchcraft among immigrant communities in the UK. Leland worries that those offering immigrant communities in Ireland "protection from witchcraft" could eventually spark a larger witch hysteria.
"To hear that witchcraft is on the religious agenda of an African church in Dublin is to feel some alarm at the possibility that this tradition of evil-seeking has been re-introduced to Ireland. Of course we have to be racially and religiously sensitive to cultural differences, but the fanaticism of this particular cultural difference, and the brutality with which its victims are treated, must not be ignored, even on a radio chat show."
Is it possible that the witch persecutions we read about in the paper could come to us? Could cultural misunderstandings and tensions among various communities result in violence and harassment towards modern Pagans? While debates will continue regarding whether the persecution and killing of "witches" in distant lands is "our" issue, we may soon find ourselves having to contemplate the problem much closer to home.
Labels: India, Ireland, Paganism, persecutions, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UK, Wicca, Witch, Witch Killings, Witchcraft
6.02.2008
Paulo Coelho's Pagan Past (and Future)
The Telegraph in India interviews Ipsita Roy Chakraverti (India's most prominent Wiccan) concerning international best-selling author Paulo Coelho's spiritual life. Basing her assertions on the recent English translation of Coelho's 1990 book "Brida", Ipsita claims that Coelho is a Wiccan, like herself.
"There's more to Paulo Coelho than meets the eye. The Brazilian writer whose bestselling books are said to have a life-enhancing effect on millions across the world is a “wiccan” and a “mystic”. Coelho’s wicca link was brought under the scanner by Calcutta’s own wiccan Ipsita Roy Chakraverti at a book-reading session of his latest release Brida. Not only does Brida dwell on wicca, Coelho himself is a practitioner of the pagan religion that worshipped the Mother Goddess around 25,000 years ago, confirmed Ipsita."
If true, this would certainly be big news (the American equivalent would be Starhawk publicly outing an author of Toni Morrison's stature), except that it isn't. At least it isn't wholly true. If you look at Coelho's Wikipedia page, you'll find that the Brazilian author seems to be a part of some sort of mystic Catholic order. However, in the author's past, he was a student of the occult and in the 1970's tried to start a Aleister Crowley-influenced "alternative society" with Brazilian rock star Raul Seixas.
"Through Coelho, Seixas was introduced to the work of controversial English mystic Aleister Crowley, which influenced their collaboration. The influence extended not only to music, but also to plans for the creation of the "Alternative Society," which was to be an anarchist community in the state of Minas Gerais based on Crowley's premise: "'Do what thou wilt' shall be the whole of the Law." The project was considered subversive by members of the Brazilian military, which imprisoned all prospective members of the group. Seixas and Coelho are reported to have been tortured during their imprisonment."
However, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti's chronological mistake might turn out to be a subtle form of prophesy. In Coelho's latest book, "The Witch of Portobello", the author seems to be growing disillusioned with Catholicism, and explores the re-emergence of Goddess religion.
"A new witch-hunt is starting to gain ground. This time the weapon isn’t the red-hot iron, but irony and repression. Anyone who happens to discover a gift and dares to speak of their abilities is usually regarded with distrust. Generally speaking, their husband, wife, father or child, or whoever, instead of feeling proud, forbids all mention of the matter, fearful of exposing their family to ridicule."
So who knows, perhaps Paulo Coelho's Pagan past may eventually become his future.
Labels: Aleister Crowley, books, Brazil, Catholicism, India, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, New Age, occult, Paganism, Paulo Coelho
4.08.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
The weekly Indian paper Mainstream takes a look at the recent protests and conflicts in Tibet, and discusses them as a conflict of rival faiths. Placing Communism in the same idealogical family as the Abrahamic faiths.
"Abrahamic religions, whenever they conquer a territory, convert the inhabitants and try to suppress their ancestral culture. Ancestral history becomes a prohibited subject. In Afghanistan and Pakistan pre-Islamic Hindu-Buddhist history is not permitted in schools. China is doing the same in Tibet..."
The author closes the piece by calling on the Indian government to abandon their "chicken-hearted" stance towards China and support autonomy for Tibet.
If you were looking forward to Robin Hardy's "Cowboys For Christ", a re-imagining of the cult classic film "The Wicker Man", you may have a long wait. Work on the film has been halted due to a loss of financial backing.
"Cameras were due to start rolling in Dumfries and Galloway this month on the follow-up to the 1970s film starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee. However, a statement from the local council confirmed that producers had cancelled the shoot due to last minute difficulties with finance. Councillor Gill Dykes described the news as 'bitterly disappointing'."
Alternative financing is currently being sought, but there is a very good chance that the entire project will be scuttled and the film never made.
Followers of the Taoist sea goddess Matsu are planning to seek UN protections for their religious and cultural heritage.
"Followers of the folk deity Matsu from both sides of the Taiwan Strait are planning to seek United Nations approval to have the Matsu culture declared intangible world cultural heritage, a promoter said yesterday."
UN heritage declarations are usually made for tangible places or monuments. The awarding of world heritage status to a belief system would raise a host of questions and issues, conceivably pitting UN calls for protections and preservation against conversion attempts by monotheistic faith groups.
Is George Clooney's girlfriend Sarah Larson a Witch? Her ex-boyfriend seems to certainly hint at the prospect in a lurid accounting he gives to the tabloids.
"Rock musician Tommy McKaughan reveals how the former Las Vegas waitress used to spice up their moonlit romps in the woods with a spot of witchcraft ... 'Sarah's a total hippy at heart, heavily into all the spiritual, mystic stuff - crystals, tarot cards, healing. And along with her witch-like charms she's a brilliant fun girl with no inhibitions. She loves nothing more than getting naked in a forest.'"
Of course, with anything printed in the gossip rags, a huge grain of salt should be taken along with the sensationalist assertions.
In a final note, BostonNOW reviews an upcoming novel by A.W. Gryphon entitled "Blood Moon", another entry into Wicca-inspired fiction.
"Blood Moon is Gryphon's first book, and it is also the first novel in the planned Witches Moon Trilogy. As with several other books I've read recently, this one is hard to categorize. It deals with Wicca and Witchcraft, so it could be paranormal or urban fantasy, yet Blood Moon is also a mystery, and it could also fit as a women's fiction novel as we uncover a woman's childhood and the facts of her mother's life. Regardless, this is a book that will capture your interest from the beginning, and it will be hard to put down before the story is complete."
With this, and a recent fiction release by Druid priestess Ellen Every Hopman, the small but vital "Pagan fiction" genre continues to grow.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: books, Cowboys For Christ, India, Matsu, movies, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Sarah Larson, The Wicker Man, Tibet, UNESCO, United Nations
2.21.2008
Updates on Past Stories
Thelemites Fight Pedophillia Charges: An Australian couple who posted unsubstantiated accusations of pedophilia and ritual abuse within the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) chapter in Melbourne, Australia have been sentenced to nine months in prison. The prison stay was ordered after Vivienne Legg and Dyson Devine defied a court order to take down the material, and declined to appear at hearings.
"Vivienne Legg and Dyson Devine posted on their website claims that an occult group, the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), was really a pedophile ring in Victoria, and that its activities included hosting parties at which naked children served as waiters and members had sex with and murdered children ... [Judge Marilyn Harbison] said the material was gross, insulting and bizarre in asserting that the OTO tortured and killed children and animals and consumed their organs in blood rituals. It also said OTO members were criminally corrupt, spoke of a culture of corruption at the highest levels of government, and identified politicians as taking part. Judge Harbison said she had to signal to the broader community that tribunal orders were not to be ignored and that breaching the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act was a serious issue."
The offending site in question was finally taken down in January by the hosting provider. Legg and Devine now have to decide if they will apologize to the judge and hope that their sentence is commuted, or if they will appeal their case to the Supreme Court.
The First Wiccan Multi-Millionaire: A local ABC News affiliate checks in with Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett, a Wiccan who won an estimated 33 million dollars in the Mega Millions drawing back in September of 2007. According to the report, Bartlett is keeping the promises he made back when he first realized he won the lottery.
"After Dundalk's Bunky Bartlett hit the Mega Millions jackpot in 2007, he said he planned to help a new age gift shop expand. He also said he would continue teaching people about his Wiccan beliefs. Bartlett has been true to his word. The Mystical Voyage store in Nottingham used to occupy 2500 square feet of space. When the expanded store opens next month, it will occupy 6500 square feet -- enough space for several new holistic healing rooms, and a large yoga studio."
Bartlett continues to teach classes on Wicca at the store, as he did before the lottery win. No further word yet about the proposed Willow Springs Sanctuary and Community Center that was announced back in November.
Wicca in India: In the past I have reported on Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, a famous adherent of Wicca in India. Chakraverti, a social activist, started a "Wiccan Brigade" to stem witchcraft killings and female infanticide through a campaign of education and re-framing the practice of "witchcraft" in India. While we have heard no reports on how successful these initiatives have been, it does look like Wicca and other western Pagan imports are gaining popularity in certain Indian cities.
"New age therapies and healing through a host of skills, including hypnosis, tarot reading, astrology and witchcraft are being accepted by a majority of people in Chandigarh, the twin capital of Punjab and Haryana ... Claiming to be India's first Shaman Witch, Renu Mathur helps remove all negative energy surrounding a person through prayer and meditation. She claims that she receives the energy from Gods and Goddesses as also from the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. 'Although this may not seem like a straight fight against superstition because what I am doing is very logical like the use of colours, use of fire, use of crystals all of which has been validated by everybody in all fields. This is just a concentrated form of using them and invocations of a Wiccan or a person like me used has a very scientific oath -'Do what will not harm anyone'. We cannot harm anyone. If we even think of doing so we lose our energies,' said Renu."
It should be interesting to see what the continued co-mingling of Hinduism and Indian culture with modern Paganism will produce. These cross-cultural interactions seem to hint at the promise of a post-Christian future, where theological "sisters" like Hinduism and modern Paganism can enrich one another over the longer term.
Speaking of India, today is the beginning of the Pongala Mahotsavam, a ten-day festival in honor of Bhagavathi (the mother goddess of the Malayali Hindus). Held in Thiruvananthapuram, it is the largest religious gathering for women in the world.
"Women in thousands have started pouring in to participate in Friday's 'Pongala' festival at Attukal temple, famed as 'Women's Sabarimala' for attracting one of the world's biggest female congregations. The Attukal Bhagavati temple here had entered the Guinness Book two years back as a unique religious event that draws over a million women on a single day. The whole city would turn into a sea of women as sun rises on Friday with the road, pavements and by-lanes about an area of six km around being occupied by devotees with the earthen pots placed on brick hearths in front of them to prepare the 'prasadam' (sweetened pudding). The ritual consists of preparation of the prasadam of rice, jaggery, coconut and spices, to be offered to the Goddess to invoke her blessings for peace and prosperity."
An estimated 2.5 million women are expected to participate this year, breaking all previous attendance records for the festival (1.7 million in 2007, and 1.5 million in 2006).
Labels: Attukal Pongala, Australia, Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett, goddess, Hinduism, India, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, OTO, Thelema, Wicca, Witchcraft
7.22.2007
Witchcraft Killings Become a Pagan Issue
As modern Paganism and religious Witchcraft spreads around the world, it is more likely that cultural clashes will develop over different ideas of what "witchcraft" means. One issue that has been mostly outside the modern Pagan consciousness, witchcraft slayings in India and different parts of the African continent, is more and more becoming a modern Pagan concern. For example: In India, where legislation seems to have little effect on curbing witchcraft slayings, an Indian Wiccan and British Pagans started an education campaign to reframe witchcraft to communities that are hardest hit by these killings.
"In the past five years, police say they have reports of more than 700 women being killed as witches or witch doctors in eastern India alone. But the real figure could be many times higher, they say..Now, followers of the Wicca faith from the United States, Britain and India plan to introduce their religion in the eastern city of Kolkata to promote awareness of witchcraft and provide support for harassed witches...Around 100 people have already signed up to take a training program in Wiccan philosophy, literature and psychology and the students will also set up a grievance cell where persecuted women can register their complaints..."
Different tactics are being taken in the country of South Africa, where witchcraft killings are also a tremendous problem. A controversial new bill is being proposed that tries to eliminate witch-killings by suppressing activities connected to witchcraft. Unsurprisingly, a coalition of South African Pagans (including the South African Pagan Council, and the South African Pagan Rights Alliance) along with traditional healers from across the country are opposed to the bill saying it would effectively criminalize their faith.
"...Witches themselves need protection from violent attack, Sapra said. "Practitioners of natural magic (witchcraft) throughout the country have rallied together to oppose the passage of the proposed Mpumalanga Witchcraft Suppression Bill on the grounds that the bill will criminalize men and women who practice witchcraft or who claim to be witches," Sapra convener Damon Leff said. Sapra has even submitted an alternative bill - the Mpumalanga Witchcraft Protection Bill - for the Mpumalanga Legislature to consider instead ... Potgieter said those who attacked people they accused of being witches were the criminal element that needed addressing, not witches themselves. She warned that the bill also affected traditional healers and "disempowered" them."
So far, it appears that the government has been receptive to these complaints. The provincial department that authored the bill is holding a closed-door meeting with traditional healers and modern Pagans to discuss re-wording the bill so it wouldn't criminalize the innocent. For some, this meeting is the first instance that traditional South African healers have met European-style modern Witches.
"There was confused silence when Luke Martin told a group of traditional healers this week that he is a witch. Phephisile Maseko, the national coordinator of the Traditional Healers' Organisation (THO), quickly had to explain that some white people consider witchcraft to be a religion and were open about practising it. There was still some apprehension, however, because the healers come from communities where witchcraft is considered evil and where people have been evicted from their villages or even killed because they were suspected of being witches. Now here was someone standing up and admitting to being one ... He and 40 traditional healers and leaders were attending a closed meeting with officials from the provincial department of local government and housing on Monday to discuss the draft Mpumalanga Witchcraft Suppression Bill."
SAPRA has also proposed an alternate Witchcraft Protection Bill that they feel better addresses the problem of witch killings in South Africa. But no matter what solution (or lack of a solution) that arrives from these proceedings, the modern Pagan community in South Africa is now in dialog with traditional healers and have involved themselves in the politics of witch-slayings. These developments, along with the spotlight on modern Paganism in India, and the growing global presence of our faiths, means that witch killings are no longer a problem isolated from Western Paganism but have become a "Pagan issue". What remains to be seen is how the larger Pagan community will react to these developments.
Labels: India, indigenous, law, Paganism, Religion, South Africa, Wicca, Witch Killings, Witchcraft
7.19.2007
The Hugging Saint
Author and "techgnostic" Erik Davis profiles Indian guru Mata Amritanandamayi (aka "Amma") and her ever-growing worldwide organization for Salon.com. Davis, while acknowledging the cosmic "warmth" of Amma's famous hugs and praising her notable humanitarian efforts, also points out that many Westerners are ignorant of the unseemly ties Amma's organization has to Hindu nationalism in her native land.
"Of course, with abundance comes power, and power means politics. Amma's flock certainly includes individuals and organizations associated with right-wing Hindu nationalism, or Hindutva. Many Hindutva ministers of state are Amma devotees, including former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, and her ranks swell with members of the RSS and VHP, nationalist organizations that have been accused of, among other things, helping foment the bloody Gujarat riots in 2002. These are complex issues, of course, and Amma is the very opposite of fascist demagogue. But many of the liberal Westerners lining up for their hug have no understanding of how their guru plays in reactionary or "fundamentalist" circles in a modern India with a large Muslim population. And the global managers of her brand are perfectly happy to keep it that way."
Another growing issue within Amma's organization (Mata Amritanandamayi Math) is the growing commercialism that some believe is tainting Amma's message of universal love and acceptance. This has lead to Amma vinyl dolls, documentaries glorifying her works
"One ex-devotee, who is wary enough of the organization that she asked me to simply call her Lakshmi, describes the Amma scene as a competitive, back-biting and self-righteous culture where volunteers are encouraged to work beyond the point of exhaustion in order to please Mother. "There is a very strong focus on selfless service," she wrote in an e-mail. 'However, much of the 'selfless service' in the West involves assisting people who have enough money to pay for retreats so that there is no paid labor during these programs.' Lakshmi left the organization partly because she 'realized that seva might be short for slave labor.'"
Davis ends his article by talking about some of Amma's famous followers (including J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.), and expressing the curious dynamic of the seemingly down-to-earth "saint" and her powerful worldwide influence where she is considered something of a living goddess.
"Amma once again takes the stage. The curtains part, and she is sitting in an elaborate throne beneath a parasol bedecked with flowers. The plain white sari is gone, replaced with crimson robes, carnations and a crown. This is Devi Bhava, a popular ceremony where Amma visibly performs the presence of the Goddess. The devotees are lined up to the sides of the stage, the front lines of a battalion of devotees whose assault on this plump fisherwoman would last all night. As they surge toward Amma, her face blooms into a radiant, unrestrained glee, and for a spell she looks much less like a cosmic matriarch than a great big kid."
This article is very instructive of how little we truly understand religion in India. Often we have simplified ideas of gods, gurus, and Gandhi, and it can lead us into idealized conceptions of complex political and spiritual realities (which in turn, leads some to fiscal and spiritual ruin). This situation has inspired some, like blogger Jody Radzik of Guruphiliac, to expose the feet of clay that many of these gurus and "saints" possess.
"While we understand that gurus are held sacred by many, they are also public figures deserving of scrutiny. Our primary aim is to inject a little humor into what can be an excessively self-righteous enterprise, and to illustrate the primary truth that no matter how divine their devotees believe them to be, gurus poop on the same pot we do."
In the end, it comes down to being cautious of where you place your faith, in the words of another famous guru "be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves" when choosing a spiritual leader or teacher.
* Curious about Amma I rented and attempted to watch the documentary "Darshan: The Embrace" only to find it entirely too fawning, and worst of all, quite boring.
Labels: Amma, Erik Davis, Guruphiliac, Hinduism, India, Mata Amritanandamayi, Salon.com
7.03.2007
Wicca, India, and Infanticide
The intermingling of modern Paganism/polytheism with Hinduism isn't just happening from the Western side of the fence. Some Indians are adopting Wicca as a means towards progress and social reform within their country, the most visible example being activist Ipsita Roy Chakraverti. Chakraverti made international headlines last year for forming a Wiccan "brigade" to help curb witchcraft slayings in rural areas of India through education and outreach.
"People from different walks of life and even governments had asked me to institutionalize Wicca, but I was waiting for the right moment...Now is the time we stood up against people who persecute and kill innocent women..."
While I never saw any reports on how that program was progressing, it seems Chakraverti's efforts have not gone unnoticed, and she has been tapped by the Indian government to head a panel dealing with the issue of female infanticide.
"Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, a Wiccan and social activist, has been nominated by the government's National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) to head a panel tasked with improving the status of young girls, they said. Around 10 million girls have been killed by their parents over the last 20 years, the government says, as female infanticide and foeticide, although illegal, are still prevalent with boys preferred to girls as breadwinners ... The Wiccan campaign has made inroads into several rural pockets across India and has helped raise awareness against victimising young women and girls as witches. Authorities expect that this influence could be expanded to promote the overall well-being of young girls."
Chakraverti sees this as a "triumph" for Wicca in India, which she equates with the practice of Dakini or Yogini Vidya
* Translated, "Yogini Vidya" means a powerful female practitioner/sorceress who worships the goddess as wisdom personified.
Labels: Hinduism, India, Infanticide, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, Paganism, Wicca, Witchcraft
5.11.2007
The Naked Art Controversy
Is it blasphemous to paint nude deities? That is the center of a widening controversy concerning painter Maqbool Fida Husain, currently India's most (in)famous artist. Husain, long one of India's most celebrated painters (including receiving honors from the government), began to find himself deeply controversial after a book of his work published in the mid-nineties pictured Hindu gods and goddesses in the nude. This ongoing issue reached a head recently when a painting he submitted for a benefit auction picturing a nude Bharat Mata (the personification of India as a mother goddess) raised the ire of Hindu nationalists.
A detail from "Mother India" by M F Hussain
Recently, litigation brought against Hussain by a hardline Hindutva group resulted in the seizure of his home and property after he refused to return to India to face trial.
"Leading painter Maqbool Fida Husain is losing his home and other properties after failing to appear before a court trying him for hurting religious sentiments by painting "Mother India" as a naked woman. Husain's paintings have often depicted revered Hindu gods and goddesses in the nude, sparking criticism from nationalist parties and activists. A decade ago, radicals even attacked his Mumbai home."
Husain, who lives in self-imposed exile due to death-threats and harassing litigation (there are over 900 cases registered against him), was able to get the Indian Supreme Court to overturn the lower court's seizure and it looks like the case against him will be moved to Delhi where there is less moral fervor against the artist.
"The Bench also issued notice to Shrivastava on Hussain's petition seeking transfer of his case from Uttarakhand to Delhi, where four other criminal cases lodged against him in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat had already been transferred by the apex court. He has sought transfer of his case to Patiala House Courts here in view of "hostile environment" prevailing in Uttarakhand...In July 2000, the apex court had ordered the transfer of similar cases filed against him in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar to the court of an additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in New Delhi and later the Delhi High Court quashed the complaints."
In the wake of these developments the Indian artistic community has risen up in support of Husain's artistic freedom, and has condemned the ongoing campaign of harassing litigation against the painter.
"Reacting to the turn of events, the artist community has strongly condemned the campaigns against Hussain. "It's not just Hussain's but the entire artist community's lives which are at stake. Anybody and everybody can file a case against us now. Anyone can infringe upon our lives," said an upset Krishan Khanna, Hussain's contemporary ... Equally upset and enraged at the "vicious campaigns" against Hussain, other members of the community like filmmaker Syed Mirza, social activist Nafisa Ali, theatre personality M. K. Raina and a host of other artistes, art critics and art gallery owners came together yesterday afternoon and expressed their support for the maestro."
Even more to the point, Suhas Roya, prominent Indian artist, points out that nudity and eroticism has long been a part of Hindu art.
"Nudes are everywhere in our country - they are part of our history and culture. Khajuraho and Konarak are full of examples of eroticism. But we should be aware that emotions do run high in our country and fanatics do exist. I have done series of nudes myself, but there's been little publicity. Maybe because Husain said his depictions were of gods and goddesses. Everything Husain does gets a lot of media attention. And sometimes people feel nudes are used as gimmicks to get attention."
Reading about this case reminds me of our country's culture-wars over controversial religiously-themed art. From the "Piss Christ" to the chocolate Jesus. But instead of a gallery show getting canceled or funding pulled, the artists are hounded and made to fear for their lives, freedom, and property. It shows what far-right religious ideologues are willing to do when given enough cultural and political power.
Personally, I think blasphemy is a matter between divinity and the individual, not an arbitrary line to be used against those who have different thoughts and opinions. Not to mention that a large percentage of goddess art through many different ages and cultures was never afraid to show life-giving attributes. I'm not the only one to see this controversy as somewhat out of character for Hinduism, the Hindu blog wonders if an unhealthy influence from Abrahamic faiths are to blame.
"The naked body is not something to be ashamed of, in fact it is the temple of the Divine in Hindu theology. It is the Abrahamic religions that preach distaste and hate towards the physical body and therefore require their monastic orders to cover their bodies from head to toe. It will do a lot of good if the Hindu groups realize their folly in following traditions alien to their own."
Whatever the underlying reason for this storm, one hopes that the courts will drop these charges against MF Husain, and that he will be able to safely return to his home country once more.
Labels: art, goddess, Hinduism, India, law, M.F. Husain, Polytheism
4.18.2007
India and Hollywood
According to some recent press it seems that India is the next big thing for Hollywood, with several American production companies and directors making films about or in the subcontinent.
"While the Walt Disney Company is all set to shoot a historical in India by the year-end, Bosnian filmmaker Danis Tanovic, of the Oscar-winning No Man's Land, has planned a visit later this year for his next film that will supposedly include Indian actors. Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited, starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman, was filmed across colourful Rajasthan three months ago."
Also planned is a film starring Johnny Depp. The planned epic from Disney seems particularly ambitious since it aims to portray the entire history of the nation.
"Though representatives of Disney's mega-budget film are not ready to make a formal announcement, the film, which will present a panoramic journey of India from the Aryans to Independence, will be shot at Nitin Desai's picturesque Karjat studio."
It should be interesting to see how much religion ends up in these films. Much of the Indian-influenced entertainment that is seen by Americans glosses over Hinduism (or makes jokes concerning it), often sticking to the much more relate-able issues of class and familial struggles. But I can't imagine how Disney could make such a film without dealing with religion, a central part of life in India. Though it is important to note that the film will end with independence (most likely featuring a lot of Gandhi), and won't try to tackle the thornier political, social, and religious issues that have developed since then.
In any case, it should be interesting to see how this rash of films will be greeted in America. Will Disney encounter any flack from the Christian right over making an "un-Christian" film, and could this trend spark a new interest in all things Indian?
4.06.2007
Religious Disarmament
The issue of religious identity in India has always been complex. When the colonial powers entered India it didn't take long before "Christianization" tactics became common (most notably under British rule, where they manipulated education, conversions, and the caste system to effect "de-Indianization").
"It is my own belief that if our plans of education are followed up, there will not be a single idolater among the respectable classes in Bengal thirty years hence." - Major B.D.Basu, "Rise of Christian Power in India"
The after-effects of these anti-Hindu policies would help foster a Hindu nationalist (or Hindutva "Hinduness") movement that sought to reverse the cultural damage done by Christian colonialism. After India won independence, political parties sympathetic to Hindutva like Bharatiya Janata Party slowly came to prominence thanks to polarizing events like the mis-use of social service funds by Christian groups for proslytization efforts, and governmental corruption and authoritarianism during the mid-1970s.
Once in power
Now Jesuit sociologist Rudolf C. Heredia, in a new book entitled "Changing Gods: Rethinking Conversion in India", is calling for a "religious disarmament" regarding conversions in India.
"In today's pluri-religious society, change of faith can precipitate religious antagonism - or it can facilitate social diversity and tolerance. While religious commitment is essentially a matter of personal conscience and choice, it inevitably impacts other levels of individual and social life ... Challenging the traditional orthodoxies which promote or oppose religious conversions, the author sees no religious merit in political posturing or conversion for socio-economic gain. Instead, to defuse tensions, he advocates rethinking religious conversion in India with a determined religious disarmament, discarding aggression."
In the book Heredia, who studies marginalized peoples in India, claims that conversion efforts by Christians in India often backfire and help fuel further violence and mistrust.
"In most cases, he says, conversion fails to alter their devotion to the pagan gods and goddesses but involves them instead in the 'politics of hate'."
Heredia seems to be calling for a withdrawal from typical conversion efforts and towards a new dialog based within mutual respect. That such a move is the only way to diffuse religious enmity and mistrust between Hindus and Christians. But it remains to be seen how successful such a effort can be when evangelical culture seems obsessed with pushing forward missions in India. So any religious cease-fire may be long in coming, or it may never come if some analysts are correct.
"Keeping in view the confrontational stand of the Hindu Nationalists and Christian management discussed above, the possibility of a resolution of the on going Hindu- Christian confrontation for the last 500 years is very remote."
This is an issue that modern Pagans should be kept aware of. Hinduism has long fascinated modern Pagans in the West (just look at the popularity of some Hindu deities and practices amongst some modern Pagan practitioners), and could be a natural ally in religious struggles both abroad and at home. The seeds of this have already been planted in legal cases involving Pagans were Hindu groups have filed amicus curiae in support, and amongst Pagan and Hindu commentators who have worked to foster closer relations between the two religious groupings. Some Wiccans have even headed to India in an effort to curb witchcraft slayings. A logical next step is to become more educated in Christian evangelistic efforts to places like India where pre-Christian tradition remains healthy and vital.
* While a center-left coalition has recently regained national power in India, Hindu nationalism is still a dominant force through many parts of India, and the BJP remains the dominant opposition party.
Labels: Christianity, conversions, Hinduism, India, Paganism
4.02.2007
Extremist Monotheism and Terror
Often ignored in the larger discussions of extremist Islam and its battles (both idealogical and physical) with the Western world is that the religious imperatives underlying those struggles aren't limited to "decadent" Westerners, but include any faith that could pose a challenge to their monotheism.
"Security surrounding the Dalai Lama has been tightened after reports of an attempt by the al-Qa'ida-linked terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba to assassinate the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader ... In a recent document, Osama bin Laden denounced "pagan Buddhism" as part of his general attack on anything not Islamic. The assassination threat picked up by Indian authorities is thought to be based on bin Laden's denunciation and the extremist jihadi movement's hatred for anything and anyone that is not Muslim."
Also on the Lashkar-e-Toiba ("The Army of the Pure") hit-list is Sonia Gandhi, current chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, a center-left coalition that recent gained control of the Indian government after years of rule by the more nationalistic Bharatiya Janata Party. While an Islamic terror group in Pakistan-administered Kashmir wanting to kill Indian leaders is nothing new or unique, what is new is the focus on Buddhism and the Dalai Lama (who holds no political power in India).
But then radical Islam's hostility to Buddhism isn't entirely new either. The Taliban's destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan (an act condemned by Pakistan) drew international attention and condemnation (some claimed that Osama bin Laden was behind the effort). It all comes down to the fact that monotheism, when taken to its worst extremes, desires the destruction of any faith that challenges its singular "truth". While extremist forces within Islam may seem preoccupied with "the West", we should never forget that non-monotheistic faiths will always be on the hit-list of such madness.
Labels: Buddhism, Dalai Lama, Hinduism, India, Islam, monotheism, Paganism, Polytheism
3.04.2007
The Largest Mother Goddess Gathering
Today is the close of a 10-day annual festival in honor of Bhagavathi (the mother goddess of the Malayali Hindus). The Attukal Pongala is celebrated every year at the Attukal Bhagavathy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, and is the largest woman-only gathering in the world (around 1.5 million in 2006 and expected to grow this year).
Devotees offering pongala at the Attukal Bhagavathy
temple in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.
Photo: S. Gopakumar
"A sea of women on Saturday made holy offerings of freshly cooked rice, coconut and jaggery to a Hindu deity in what the Guinness Book of World Records says is the largest gathering of women on earth. Millions of women devout prayed to Attukal Devi, the reigning deity of the Bhagawathy Temple here, to fulfill their wishes. "I have been coming for consecutive years and this is due to the blessings of Amma (Mother Goddess). I have also vowed to come here and offer prayers for the years to come," said Chippi, a Malayalam film actress."
The world "Pongala" means "to boil over" and aptly describes the tens of thousands of cooking pots offering up boiled rice and other delicacies to the goddess. The climax of the ritual on the ninth day is the ceremonial lighting of hearths for these offerings.
"At 10.45 a.m., the temple priests lit the ceremonial hearth in front of the temple amid chanting of devotional hymns, fireworks, Panchavadyam and chendamelam. This provided a signal for thousands of devotees right across the city to light up their hearths to prepare various kinds of naivedyam, the offering to the deity. Public address systems also relayed the cue to the pilgrims. A huge pall of smoke rose over the city."
The festival ends tonight after a statue of the goddess returns from a procession to the the Sree Dharma Sastha temple at Manacaud.
Labels: Attukal Pongala, Bhagavathi, goddess, Hinduism, India
1.23.2007
Paganism and American Pluralism
The India Forum has published an article by Jakob De Roover (a post-doc fellow at Ghent University) concerning the future of "pagans" from India (or NRIs Non-Resident Indians) within the context of American pluralism. De Roover points out that the American idea of pluralism (the affirmation and acceptance of diversity) is strongly rooted in Protestant Christianity and will not accept non-monotheistic "pagans" easily.
"...the American model of pluralism is unable to accommodate these pagan traditions. This is the case, because its structure has emerged from a co-existence of Protestant denominations. Maximally, the resulting model could encompass other variants of the religions of the book: Catholicism, Judaism and Islam. Incorporating the pagan traditions of India, however, will require a fundamental rethinking of American pluralism."
De Roover uses the California Hindu textbook controversy as an example of the problems facing the religious accommodation of Hindus in America, and shows how the American version of pluralism tries to make non-monotheistic religions reshape into a more recognizable Protestant form.
"The structure of American pluralism and the nature of the Hindu traditions give rise to two options. These options present themselves as routes that can be traveled by the NRI community in the coming years. On the one hand, the pagan traditions of India could renounce their true nature and transform themselves into variants of biblical religion. Then they will soon fit in as well in the American model of pluralism as the Jews and Muslims. On the other hand, these pagan traditions can remain true to their nature and explicitly represent themselves as completely different from the religions of the book. Then they will turn into a major challenge to American pluralism: the very structure of this model will require rethinking in order to accommodate the Hindu traditions."
According to the article, the route taken by prominent American Hindu groups is one of transformation in order to make themselves less "pagan" seeming.
"A limited number of foundations have been appointed (or have appointed themselves) as the representatives of the Hindu traditions in the U.S.: the Hindu American Foundation and the Vedic Foundation are most prominent. These foundations play according to the rules of the notions of church and religion that are intrinsic to American pluralism. They challenge the unfair portrayal of the Hindu traditions in the American educational system. But they do so in a manner which advances the transformation of these traditions into inferior variants of Christianity. They intend to present the true doctrines of Hinduism and do so by making it look respectable to American Protestants. That is, the many devatas are transformed into different ways of worshiping the one true God. Hinduism becomes a proper monotheistic faith. A variety of pagan Indian traditions are excluded because they are embarrassing to the sanitized biblical model of American pluralism."
This discussion is hugely important, not only for Hindus living in America, but for the variety of modern Pagan faiths and traditions. In fact this very discussion has been ongoing in our community in debates over Pagan participation in Unitarian-Universalism and other congregational models. Do we retain our essential "pagan-ness" or do we, over time, slowly mold into an more acceptable form so that we can reap the benefits of the more mainstream monotheistic faiths? If congregational models become the "mainstream" of modern Paganism, are they even "pagan" any longer?
Labels: Hinduism, India, Paganism, Pluralism, Unitarian-Universalism
